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Even as college football viewership has dipped over the past year, one program has risen above the rest in both the polls and the ratings. The Texas Longhorns, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, are also the most-watched team in the country, according to the latest Nielsen data.
Texas is pulling in an average of 9.038 million viewers per weekend, placing them ahead of other elite SEC and Big Ten programs. A significant portion of that audience tuned in for the Longhorns' thrilling 20-point comeback victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State in early September. More recently, Arch Manning led Texas to a win over ranked Tennessee on Rocky Top, a game that drew additional attention with the President in attendance.
Key Analysis
The Longhorns' viewership success underscores their national appeal, even as overall college football ratings have seen a decline. Their high-profile matchups and star power have kept them at the forefront of the sport's television landscape.
Trailing Texas in the viewership rankings is LSU, which is averaging 7.623 million viewers. The Tigers have been a major draw in Lane Kiffin's first season as head coach, thanks to marquee games like a 51-10 dismantling of Clemson in the season opener and a dramatic, closely contested loss to Ole Miss—a game that featured Kiffin facing his former team.
Wisconsin is a surprising third, with an average of 7.421 million viewers. The Badgers' numbers were significantly boosted by their season-opening loss to Notre Dame, which attracted about 7.4 million viewers on NBC.
Ohio State and Michigan represent the Big Ten in the top 10, with the Buckeyes' game against Texas and the Wolverines' win over Oklahoma drawing substantial audiences. The rest of the list is dominated by SEC programs, including Ole Miss, Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, highlighting the conference's continued television dominance in 2026.
Here is the complete top 10 in average viewership through Week 5:
- Texas: 9.038 million
- LSU: 7.623 million
- Wisconsin: 7.421 million
- Ohio State: 6.72 million
- Ole Miss: 6.235 million
- Michigan: 5.253 million
- Kentucky: 5.144 million
- Florida: 4.957 million
- Tennessee: 4.878 million
- Alabama: 4.722 million
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also appeared on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.